Package and bottle lifter.



V W. AGIN. PACKAGE AND BOTTLE LIFTER. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1912.

1,051,374. Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES 11V VE N T OR cuLUHBlA PLANOGRAPH C0,,WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. AGIN. PACKAGE AND BOTTLE LIFTER. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1912.1,05 1,374. Patented Jan..21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/6 D -r Q /J' muummmummifiimfimf WITNESSES WINFRED AGIN, OFCHILILICOTI-IE, OHIO.

PACKAGE AND BOTTLE LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21,1913.

App1ication filed February 20, 1912. Serial No. 678,797.

17 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFRED AGIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Package and BottleLifters, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

This invention has relation to new and useful improvements in packageand bottle lifters and the main object thereof is to provide a device ofthis nature that will facilitate in speedily taking down from shelvesand replacing thereupon cans, bottles, packages, boxes or any othersmall articles without the use or aid of ladders or the necessity ofclimbing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that will benot only efficient in operation but one which may be manufactured at acomparatively small cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for operating thesame either from the lower end or the upper end of the vertical shaft.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists ofthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsas are described in this specification, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming a part thereof, and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

Reference being had to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevational viewof my in vention as it appears when grabbing a jar in readiness forlifting it from the shelf upon which it rests, preparatory to loweringthe jar therefrom. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lifter showing theclamps in clamped position and also indicating them in open or unclampedposition by means of the dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical,longitudinal, sectional view of the upper portion of said lifter. Fig.4: is a top plan view of the lifter, the clamps being in clampedposition, the top of said lifter being removed disclosing the innerparts thereof. Fig. 5 is a central, vertical, sectional view of part ofthe handle of the lifter, disclosing the construction ofthe mechanismtherein. Fig. 6 is a horizontal, central, sectional View of part of thehandle of the lifter, disclosing the construction of the innermechanism, taken at rightangles. Fig. 7 is a top fragmentary, plan Viewof a portion of a modified form of clamp which may be utilized whenhandling small objects.

The lifter comprises a hollow staff 1, in which is movably mounted a rod2. The staff 1 is provided with a. handle 6 in which is movably mounteda rod 3. A partition 5 is located in the handle 6 and a coil spring 1surrounds the rod 3 and bears at one end against the partition and atits other end bears against a stop 7. The spring A is under tension witha tendency to hold the stop 7 away from the partition 5. A head 9 islocated at the upper end of the staff 1 and the said head includes abody 11, and an extension 10. Fingers 8 are located at the end of theextension 10 and are pivotally connected with a bar 15 which is slidablymounted in the extension 10. A gear wheel 12 is journaled in the body 11and the bar 15 is provided with teeth 14 which mesh with the said gearwheel. The bar 15 is provided with an upstanding lug 15 which passesthrough a slot provided in the top of the body 11. A finger piece 16 iscarried at the upper end of the lug 15.

A finger piece 17 is fixed to the rod 3 and extends up through a slot 19provided in the handle 6. A pawl 18 is pivoted to the finger piece 17and is adapted to engage teeth 20 located adjacent the slot 19. The pawl18 is provided with an extension 18 which projects down through the slot19 into the handle 6. The rod 2 is provided at its lower end with a lug21 which is provided with an inclined upper surface which lies under theextension 18 of the pawl 18. The lug 21 is located between the base ofthe finger piece 17 and a lug 23 mounted upon the rod 3. The lug 21 mayhave limited movement between the finger piece 17 and the lug 23 but thelast mentioned parts lie in the path of movement of the said lug 21 forthe reason that the said lug 21 projects slightly over the upper edge ofthe rod 3. A spring 22 is carried by the finger piece 17 and bearsagainst the pawl 18 and is under tension with a tendency to hold the endof the pawl in engagement with the teeth 20. A finger piece 23 isprovided at the upper end of the rod 2 and extends through a slotprovided at the upper port-ion of the staff 1 as clearly shown in Fig. 3of the drawing.

When it is desired to secure a package between the fingers 8 an operatormay grasp the finger piece 16 and move the bar 15 so that the end of thesaid bar will approach the end of the extension 10. The fingers 8 maythen be spread as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the packagemay be placed between them. When the bar 15 is moved as just indicatedthe teeth la rotate the gear wheel 12 which in turn moves the rack bar13 and the rod 2 longitudinally. When the lug 21 comes in contact withthe lug 23 the rod 3 is moved in the handle 6 so that the stop 7 isdrawn toward the partition 5 and against the tension of the spring 4.When the lug 21 moves toward the lug 23 the inclined surface of the lug21 engages the extension 18 of the pawl and lifts the pawl above and outof contact with the teeth 20. Therefore when the package is graspedbetween the fingers 8 the spring 4: through the intervening parts willhold the fingers 8 against the sides of the package. If the finger piece16 cannot be readily reached, the operator may use the finger piece 23for moving the rod 2 and the parts connected therewith. If the fingerpieces 16 and 23 cannot be readily reached the operator may move theparts as above indicated by using the finger piece 17. If the tension ofthe spring l is not sufiicient to grip the package the operator may usethe finger piece 17 and move the rod 3 to a desired po sition and whenthis is done the pawl 18 is permitted to engage the teeth 20 whereby theparts are held in a locked position until the rod 2 is movedlongitudinally in the staif 1 as hereinbefore described.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

A lifter comprising a hollow staff, a head fixed to the staif and havingan extension, a gear wheel journaled in the head, a bar slidably mountedin the extension and having teeth which engage the gear Wheel, fingerspivoted to the bar, a rod slidably mounted in the staff and having arack bar which engages the gear wheel, said rod having at its lower enda lug provided with an inclined surface, a second rod slidably mountedin the staff, a spring for holding the last men.- tioned rod in a normalposition, a finger piece carried by the last mentioned rod, a lugcarried by the last mentioned rod, the lug upon the first mentioned rodbeing located between the finger piece and the lug located upon the lastmentioned rod, teeth located upon the staff adjacent the finger piece, apawl pivoted to the finger piece and having an extension adapted to beengaged by the lug upon the first mentioned rod.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WINFRED AGI N.

WVitnesses JOHN Co'r'rmLL, DELANO W. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

